H&K G28 Limited Edition

I’ve owned a number of Umarex H&K licenced replicas over the years and all of them have been exceptionally well-made, offering great levels of performance. In my reviews I often make a big thing of correct and legal licence agreements, as this means that the replica you receive will be as accurate as possible in relation to features, dimensions and trademarks; the licencee also work closely with the manufacturer of the real world firearm in terms of quality control as there will be a reflection on both parties in terms of replication.

When I visited the Umarex stand at IWA there was a distinct buzz surrounding it and when I met other UK trade visitors the first question they asked me was “have you seen the G28 yet?”, so I made it a mission to go and seek out the replica that was causing all the chatter; I was not to be disappointed! Beautifully displayed behind glass and dressed up to full Bundeswehr specification with a genuine Schmidt & Bender 3-20x50 optic and backup red dot fitted the G28 was probably one of the most viewed and photographed airsoft RIFs at the show.

The real reason for a lot of the discussion surrounding this superb looking rifle was not just the accuracy of reproduction (I did visit the Heckler & Koch stand to look at the real thing to ensure authenticity) but the fact that there were only going to be 300 produced worldwide, and that the replica would be carrying a price tag of almost £900. Yup, you heard that right, 900 quid and that was without the optics! Now I know that sounds an awful lot of wonga for what essentially many would view as a ‘toy gun’, but as a strictly limited edition model that was obviously well up to re-enactment standard there was an awful lot to look at before a final judgement was drawn.

Afghanistan

Heckler and Koch have been going through slightly troubled times in the recent past with much talk of the under-performance of their G36 rifle issued to Bundeswehr units in Afghanistan. Stories of falling accuracy after use in prolonged engagements are still being hotly disputed by the manufacturer and the jury is still out on this. Certainly there have been no such comments made about the efficacy of either the 5.56mm 416 model, or indeed the accurised 7.62mm 417. The US Marine Corps are continuing to take delivery of the 5.56mm M27 IAR with good reports being fed back on performance, field durability and accuracy.

So why do H&K feel there is a need to add yet another mid-range rifle to their line-up? The 417 model was designed to complement the 5.56mm rifles and carbines by offering the substantial punch of the 7.62mm cartridge in a compact and ergonomic package, but was never really designed to be a true precision rifle; the effective range for the HK417 is stated at 600 metres, and it offers maximum stopping power at half that distance which is perfect for the urban environments encountered ‘in theatre’ on current Bundeswehr deployments. H&K believed that this needed to be further complimented by a true precision rifle to engage at even greater distance; enter the G28!

The G28 is a militarised variant of the civilian semi-automatic competition rifle, the MR308. The Designated Marksman Rifle (DMR) ensures daytime accuracy of 1.5 MOA whilst offering a full night fighting capability as well by adding a QIOTIQ Merlin–LR NVS or an L3 CNVD-3 Thermal Sight to the mix. Using the 7.62 x 51 cartridge the G28 offers a maximum effective range and a high first round hit probability up to 600 metres, but will allow suppressive fire against mansize targets accurately up to 800 metres.

With its green/brown (RAL8000) tone, the G28 offers a colour scheme that is being accepted around the world, working well with the multi terrain camouflage patterns being adopted by numerous armies. An additional conversion kit supports user and mission specific requirements where the G28 can be configured to a Patrol version and be used as an assault rifle. This is basically achieved by changing the length of the front rail system, swapping out the buttstock and fitting different optics; the patrol version utilises a Schmidt & Bender 1-8x24 optic, whilst the full DMR has the Schmidt & Bender 3-20x50 with backup red dot.

The DMR also benefits from the new Stanag 4694 accessory rail and mounts which brings the MIL STD 1913 rail system fully up to date; the two systems are completely compatible. The G28 also shares 75% compatibility with the HK417 for ease of field maintenance. All in all this is one heck of a package, specifically designed to operate faultlessly in theatre, and that offers the marksman a quality tool fully capable of engaging targets at distance.

 

Absolute Precision

So, does the replica G28 live up to the promise of the real thing? Without I thought to be an ambidextrous safety lever and discovered that in fact this is purely cosmetic, the lever on the lefthand side of the lower receiver being the functional one; not a problem really, but fully ambidextrous would have been nice!

When I started sending BBs downrange though I couldn’t have given a hoot about the safety as the G28 is an absolute tack driver. At 30 metres prone and using the bipod I was able to achieve groupings of 75mm using the iron sights which are adjustable for windage and elevation. Pushing that out to 40 metres the groupings opened out to 100mm, but that was probably down to the user rather than the rifle. I then fitted the red dot and at 50 metres was hitting the 150mm target with each round; the trigger is light and responsive so it’s easy to ‘snatch’ if you’re not paying attention!

 

The Price Is Right

In my mind, in the hands of a dedicated airsoft marksman the Umarex H&K G28 could really be a devastating replica to come up against on the skirmish field. It’s no lightweight, coming in at 5130g without ammo or the optics being fitted, and at 1040mm with the stock fully extended it’s by no means short either; if you’ve ever played with an M14 EBR, as I have in the past, then you’ll know what it’s like to lug a long, heavy replica around all day long. That said if you’re set up in a building on overwatch then you could easily be seeing your hit count climbing continually!

The G28 is built like a tank, looks fabulous, and shoots very well indeed. Is it, however, worth that whopping price tag? Let’s step back for a moment and look at this logically as many of us over the course of time could indeed invest a hefty amount of cash to get the rifle setup we really want. I’ve recently completed a custom-build and with the cost of the donor rifle, custom machine shop and electrical work, new rail system, specific back up irons, and new flash hider reckon to have spent almost the price of a G28 which comes as a perfectly formed package in one go. Let’s not even go down the Systema route where a basic PTW will set you back four figures before you even start!

The cost of any replica is subjective and in the case of the G28 I do believe that IRO £900 is going to buy you an absolutely superlative airsoft gun, especially if you dabble in a bit of modern day re-enactment; the chance of getting a de-activated G28 is probably right up there with finding unicorns, and even if you could find one I shudder to think what you might be paying out for that.

 

Conclusion

Overall the H&K G28 from Umarex is a super package, and as with any Limited Edition run values will undoubtedly rise in the future. I’d say that if you are one of the lucky 300 worldwide to add a G28 to your armoury then you’re a very fortunate person indeed! For further information and stockist details please visit www.armex-airsoft.co.uk.